Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: Two former militant groups in Tripura lifted a disruptive rail and road blockade on Friday afternoon after receiving assurances from the state government. The National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force had initiated the 72-hour protest to demand the faster delivery of a promised rehabilitation package.
The agitation caused significant travel delays by halting train services and obstructing traffic on the Assam-Agartala and Agartala-Kamalpur national highways. The protest ended after Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma met with the groups to convey an appeal from Chief Minister Manik Saha.
NLFT leader Parimal Debbarma explained the decision to end the standoff. "We called off the blockade following the request of the chief minister who is in Delhi. On behalf of the CM, the tribal welfare minister assured us that there will be a high-level meeting to address our issues," he said.
The groups are seeking the release of a 250-crore rupee rehabilitation package agreed upon during peace negotiations in September 2024. They expressed frustration over slow progress in vetting former cadres and criticized the government's decision to hire an external agency to manage the funds, arguing that the move violates their peace agreement. A future meeting will include the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to resolve these concerns.
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